Fuck
by Featherfree-Zombie
Summary: It was just supposed to be one night of fun, maybe some weeks of redeeming himself to the humans by his brother's side. How had it all gotten so horribly out of control? Former one-shot started growing tentacles and won't leave me alone now. (Dark[!]Avengers in some parts, also quite a lot of Lady Loki and an overall air of Frostiron)
1. one night out

This was going to be one of those nights, no doubt about it. It had been a while, since Tony Stark had made his last public appearance, let alone partake in the shallow joys that were charity events and other upper class entertainment of the like.

He hadn't craved the glitz and glamour of it, the meaningless banter with dolled up starlets whose faces he would probably forget the second they left his penthouse the next morning.

Yet, as he entered the venue and felt all eyes on him, dressed in one of his best suits, he couldn't deny the thrill that sent shivers down his spine.

The last month had been filled with drama. Lots of it.

First there was the trauma the Chitauri invasion had left him with, the memory of a freefall that still shook him awake night after night.

Then there was Pepper. Well, it wasn't meant to be, after all. The part of him that had wanted to go out tonight told him he was better off for it. His heart disagreed, but he had to admit, that he had wallowed in self-pity long enough.

It couldn't be changed, he had accepted that after weeks of begging, self-destruction and the like. Pepper wouldn't be moved, he couldn't blame her. She was better off without him aswell.

Maybe, someday, they could be friends. But right at this moment Tony didn't need a friend. He needed an easy, pretty bimbo, quick to impress with a wave of dollar bills and admiration in her big eyes.

There were lots of those around.

He noticed he hadn't skipped a beat, as his eyes scanned the room and his mind concocted a plan of attack, as if it had been yesterday when he last did this sort of thing.

Tonight though, tonight would turn out to be quite different.

A woman caught his eye, as he nonchalantly scanned the bar for suitable bimbos.

She looked wealthy as hell, but younger than your usual rich lady, and less stuck-up.

The black cocktail dress screamed elegance and class, the low back suggested otherwise, yet nothing about her seemed trashy. Seductive, definetely.

It took Tony a moment to realise what was off about her, though. Her posture. That woman was not flirting with the man she was currently conversing with, not even close. And she was definetely _conversing_, that much was certain. This was no idle chat, no mindless banter. The fact that Tony knew the man at her side living proof of that. A mind whose brilliance rivaled his own, and she looked bored.

Were it any other woman, he would have understood that look. He had witnessed on numerous occasions how the man had gone on about his work, which included lots of science, regardless of his conversational partner's intellectual level.

Yet something about the look on her face suggested that she understood every single word he said and it bored her nonetheless.

He realised he was staring, and since people were always staring at him that might be a bad idea.

So he decided to wander a bit, keeping an eye on her from the distance.

She was shorter than his usual, her hair chin-length and slicked back, a style he usually didn't like on women. It didn't look fun, too much elegance could quickly tip over and become old-lady-chique. For her it worked. She did wear make-up, but not very much of it. It gave her an overall androgynous look, that he would never go for, usually. Well, usually.

He found himself staring at her, again. There were a couple of people between them, but still. Not a good idea, not at all.

It took him a moment to realise, that she was actually staring back at him. Those eyes spoke of more than mild interest in his person and she didn't look offended by his stares either. In front of her the man was still droning on about something, his hand gesticulating excitedly. It wasn't until she started walking towards Tony, that he noticed he had lost her attention.

Her slow gait had something predatorial about it, the movement of her hips reminded him of a panther's prowl.

Great. All he had wanted was a little bit of his usual fun, but no such luck.

Crap. She was just a couple of steps away when he realised, that he had no idea how to talk to a woman like that. He knew his way around trashy ones, whom he wanted to seduce. He also knew his way around intelligent and classy ones, whom he wouldn't want in his bed.

Her, he was absolutely lost with.

His musings were proven irrelevant seconds later, when a porcelain-white arm wrapped around his neck, the other resting on his shoulder, and cool lips pressed on his in a short kiss.

Just when he had lain his hands on silk-clad hips and bent over to whisper into her ear, suggest to go somewhere else, she had already pulled back, took one of his hands in hers and pulled him with her.

Tony didn't mind the stares, now. He might get in trouble with his good colleague, who seemed a little upset at the loss of his date, but at the moment he couldn't care less.

He barely remembered the way up to her room. Had his other conquests ever felt like this? He couldn't recall.

When his back suddenly hit the luxurious bed in the spacious hotel room, it pulled him back into reality with force.

There was no time to pick up the pieces though, as she was on top of him within seconds.

She straddled his lap and Tony had trouble getting into an upright sitting position to rid himself of his suit jacket. Either he was really out of it already or that woman was way stronger than she looked.

He did manage to, however, and took the chance to peel her out of that wonderful dress.

It took all his concentration to restrain from ripping the fine silk to shreds, the hunger for her was something he wasn't used to. He hadn't even had a drink, yet all his self-control seemed to be stripped away from him.

She didn't seem to be much better off, though. Which was nice to see in face of the pristine contenance she had displayed before.

A subtle blush adorned her pale face and those eyes, those eyes were shining with a light he had never seen before. The sparkle of pleasure and feverish lust threatened to undo him completely, so he closed his eyes and kissed her instead.

Weird. He couldn't remember ever looking a woman in the eye so intently while the rest of her lay before him bare and willing.

Everything about her excited him way more, than it had any right to. The tongue that slid past his lips sent a virtual explosion through his nervous system, the hungry movement of her mouth on his nearly wrecked him completely.

He realised that he was barely touching her, the naive fear of burning away if he got too much of _her_ stilled his movements.

She would have none of that. The hand that had held the back of his head slid down to his shoulders and with a poweful push he was on his back again, her heated body flush against his chest, her knees pulled up beside him.

His pants were gone, even though he couldn't actually recall taking them off. He did not think on it long, though. He felt the hot wetness between her legs, as she rolled her hips against him, enticing him to take the last step.

All it took was a light push and he was inside of her. She took him in eagerly, a drawn hiss escaped her mouth and the grip on his shoulders tightened.

Suddenly he was very glad she wasn't one of those ridiculously-long-fingernail types.

His hands found her hips and he proceeded to guide her movements. All it took were a couple of thrusts and she came, her whole body shivering with pleasure. Tony barely managed to keep himself from reaching completion himself, as she clenched tight on him.

"Wow, that was fast. Am I that good?"

He managed a cocky smile, as she lifted her head and blew away some stray strands of hair that had fallen over her eyes.

"No need to be smug about it, just keep going."

Damn that voice. He realised he hadn't heard her speak before. Oh, what he had missed out on.

Her voice suited her perfectly, all dark, silky, smoky goodness.

He didn't need to be told twice.

This time he took the lead completely, flipped the two of them over to be on top and dove in again.

She quickly wrapped her legs around him, her hands found the metal beams of the bedpost and held on for dear life, as her entertainment for tonight started to move with one forceful push after the next.

The rhythm had both of them panting soon, the occasional growl was heard from her, much to Tony's delight. Women that growled in bed were rare. For a fact, he hadn't known they existed up until now.

He grinned as he met the next thrust with a low growl of himself, which, weirdly enough, made her giggle.

The next laugh died in her throat, though, as Tony quickened the pace and he soon had her reeling, her white-knuckled grip on the bedpost made him insanely glad she wasn't holding onto his shoulders anymore.

Each breath that left her lips came with a moan now, as needy and erotic a sound, as he had ever heard.

It did not take much more than a few desperate last shoves, the sweet sound by his ear and a last spasmic clench around his cock to make him come hard.

She came split-seconds later, a strangled scream on her lips, as she shivered violently once more.

They lay like this for a while, their panting slowly dissolving into normally paced breathing.

He rolled off of her with a sigh of contentment when his cell phone rang.

"Bad timing.", she commented.

"Could have been worse.", he replied and bent over to pick up his phone.

"Tony, what the hell are you doing?"

Oh Captain, my Captain. Always there, when you needed someone to spoil your fun. Or maybe... this might be a great chance to get away, avoid the awkwardness. Then again, he had to admit, he would love to stay right now.

"What do you think I'm doing?"

He groaned in frustration, this was not going to be fun.

"You left your post. You were supposed to keep an eye out, for god's sake."

"You said if I went there, I might aswell do a little surveillance work. I did, I surveilled. There was nothing there. Nothing suspicious, at least."

"You,", Steve sounded more distraught every minute.

"Has something happened? Everything alright down there?"

"Well, Tony, you took what I would call _something suspicious_ to a room upstairs, or the other way around, the way I see it."

To this Tony could only laugh out loud.

"You are being paranoid. Paranoid and very stereotypical. Everything's fine. Call me if something is actually up, alright? Until then, I think I deserve a little me-time."

"Tony, listen-"

Tony didn't, he hung up.

Steve seemed to be his usual righteous self and he would not have any part of it.

"Trouble?", she asked with a smile on her lips, that might even register as genuinely sweet. It made him lay down beside her almost instantly.

"Nah, just a colleague of mine acting up. Control freak."

"Oh, I hate those."

"Yeah, right? What's to say against a little bit of fun?"

Her smile darkened significantly at that.

"_A little bit of fun?_"

And that's why he usually went for the bimbos, easy to handle and easy to dispose of.

"Come on, I didn't mean it like that. Just in regards to what he said, I-"

He was spared from getting himself into deeper trouble, as a loud banging shook the door and the walls adjacent to it happily shook along.

The upset voice of Cap could be heard, along with the trademark bellow of Thor.

So the thunderer had arrived to join them, how nice.

More parties incapable of a stealthy approach, maybe he _should_ have stayed downstairs and have an eye on things.

The woman at his side looked wary. Those loud, obnoxious idiots.

"Don't worry, they are usually friendly. Also, it's me they're mad at, so no need to trouble yourself."

He was about to rise, opening the door quickly might help defusing the situation a bit, but that opportunity was taken from him.

It was Thor who ripped the thin piece of wood out of its frame and all but threw it into the room.

"Wow, wow, wow! Back off, Thor!"

He had been annoyed before, but now he was outright enraged. Who the hell did that guy think he was anyway? It took him a second to find his pants, pull them up and jump out of bed to meet the equally furious thunder god.

Thor payed him no mind, however. He headed straight for the bed, surrounded it with two purposeful strides and gripped _her_ by the neck to pull her up, naked as she was.

Tony wanted to protest, attack even, but then he saw the wicked grin that spread across her face and a chill crept up his spine. Something really _was_ off about her.

"Please tell me you're not an alien or something."

Thor regarded him with a pitiful look, one that said '_I'm sorry you're so stupid._'

"I'm afraid she is as alien to this world as I am."

Facing her he added: "What in the nine realms were you _thinking_, this is no way to behave, you know that! How am I to vouch for you, when the first thing you do is this... this _deviancy!_"

He threw her back onto the bed with a disgusted snarl and wiped the hand he had held her with on his cloak. She scuttled back under the covers, pouting.

"Can't I at least have a little bit of fun, before you drag me back?"

Tony couldn't bring himself to acknowledge the parallellism of the wording she used, his mind was too busy contemplating the possibilities.

Alien prisoner Thor was supposed to bring back? Asgardian even?

"Who is she, then?"

He couldn't bring himself to even look at hear, as he dreadingly awaited the answer.

"Ask her!", Cap suggested. So he knew, whatever it was. Damn.

"So, well, who are you?"

She smiled that sweet smile again, eyebrows raised as if to say '_You didn't know?_'.

There was a golden shimmer next. One, Tony remembered very well, but his mind forbid the recognition.

When the shimmer faded he was insanely happy about the blanket _he_ had pulled over himself again.

That damn smirk, plastered all over that face. The eyes, how hadn't he noticed? Well, of course he hadn't. Who seriously expects a super-villain changing gender and visiting charity events? Fuck.

"Fuck.", he said, and Loki smiled.

* * *

**The cover picture is a cosplay by yirico92 .deviantart. com, used with permission ^^**

**Apparently I am not supposed to post links. Ö_ö  
**

**Just delete the two spaces in front of the dots... I hope that worked now. How the hell am I supposed to credit people?  
**

**Oh, an since people were asking... I might just have a plot in mind that would work for this ff, so maybe it won't be a one-shot after all. If I continue it though it would probably feature dark(!)Avengers and in that case I will probably have a hard time keeping emo-Loki at bay... I'll definetely try my very best, though.  
**


	2. don't

The ride home was silent.  
Tony had fought and struggled a bit, but in the end he had agreed to take everyone back in his car, it was the only one they all fitted in together after all.

"That's what a man gets for trying to make a lasting impression when he makes his first appearance in what, month?"

Loki was awfully quiet the whole ride. She had changed back into her female form, Tony suspected she didn't bring any spare clothes.  
That might just be the case, actually, since one of the first things Thor had pointed out was, that she was currently without her powers, which apparently featured the glamouring on of clothes, armor and the like.  
Shapeshifting, however, was the ability she had been born with, nothing could take that from her. It's just that the ability alone constantly leaves you naked in places you'd rather not be naked in, so here she was, again in that wonderful cocktail dress.

He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but something was entirely off about Loki, the female Loki he had faced before, that is. She didn't wear makeup anymore, which was probably due to the quick change back into her male form. Another thing Tony was probably thankful for, tranny-Loki in that bed would have been way worse than just regular male-Loki.  
There was more to it, though. The way she huddled closer to Thor, the quickt movements of her eyes, with which she constantly seemed to scan each and every one of her former enemies. There was still the arrogant smirk around her lips, but it looked terribly hollow. She was scared, desperate not to let it show. That was weird. Weird and irritating.  
Tony hated it, hated her. Male-Loki he could punch in the face if he wished to. This simply wasn't fair. He couldn't punch a scared looking girl, could he?

And why were they taking _IT_ back to _his_ tower anyway? All Thor was going to say on that matter was that they were here to visit, Loki had redeemed himself, he was stripped of his powers, therefore harmless, and that's that.  
Tony had stopped prodding.  
Cap did not, he still wouldn't get off his back about the whole affair. No matter how very diligently Tony ignored him, the glares would not stop, accompanied by the occasional beginning of a rant.

What had gone down while he was busy doing the supervillain apparently went something like this:

While Cap had been busy keeping an eye on things back by the bar Clint and Tasha had had their fun backstage, which apparently featured breaking things, opening things and acquiring things, all of which were of some importance or the other. They returned just in time to witness the feral _glomp_ of an obviously troubled thundergod on startled, poor Steve.  
Thor then proceeded to drown him in a jumble of elliptic sentences, referring to all sorts of siblings. Since the only sibling of Thor they had ever had the joy of meeting had been Loki, these incoherent ramblings of the thunderer were met with panic, followed by regained control of the situation. At some point it became apparent, that Thor had simply lost his little brother, who apparently looked like a sister at the moment, and needed to find him, badly.  
Well, since their little mission had gone well, apart from the fact that Thor's presence has alerted every person imaginable, they would soon be free to deal with the Loki-problem.  
The Loki-problem, however, soon evolved into a Tony-related problem, or a Loki-Tony-problem even.  
And that's probably when the posse decided to just go and break a door to further humiliate Iron Man.

Well, Tony was thankful, sort of. At least he had been spared getting back in bed with Loki. Which had to count for something, right?  
So here they were. Cooped up in his car. Loki and Thor on one side, the four Avengers face to face with them.  
Natasha refused Thor's generous offer to come sit on their side for what must have been the tenth time. Everyone wanted to keep an eye on Loki, of course.  
Who wouldn't.  
Tony was just happy they weren't paying him any mind, except Cap, that is.  
He had-  
Oh god...  
He had slept with Loki, and they knew it. They all knew it.  
... slept with Loki, had had _sex_ with LOKI.  
Tony had to try hard to even process the thought properly.  
His mind did his best to switch back to more common scenarios, them being mad at him because he wandered of with some chick at a boring surveillance deal.  
Yeah, some chick. Why, oh why did this chick have to be... impossible. He just couldn't deal, he decided.  
As if the complete gender-switch-thing wasn't bad enough already.  
It still felt like Thor had that bratty little sister, that was coincidently also called Loki.  
The problem with that was the simple and well-known fact that Tony would so go for someone's naughty sister, as long as said sister was legal, of course.  
And right now she still looked cute. That hopeless smirk had been replaced by a pout and she did her best to keep her eyes steady, her breathing calm and collected.

Just as Tony was about to forget with whom he was dealing here (he had been close to trying to come on to her on more than one occasion, mind's muscle memory and stuff) the car finally came to a halt and everyone exited.

They were greeted by the damp cold of the garage, expensive cars filled the place in several neat lines, leaving just enough space to properly acknowledge their beauty.  
No one wanted to linger, it seems, as they all hurried for the exit and into the tower.  
Tony felt the need to protest, but he knew better.  
Apparently the thundergod had decided to stay for a visit and there wasn't anything that could keep him from doing so.  
Tony desperately hoped they wouldn't stay for the night and already rummaged through his mind in search for suitable methods of keeping a certain seductive shapeshifter out of his room, because at this point he really didn't trust himself with appropriately handling the situation.

Thor would take care now, he told himself. Big brother wouldn't let Loki wander of again, not after what had happened. No way in hell, right?

Well, it wasn't long until they had all chosen their seats in the lounge. Loki nearly drowned in the huge armchair by the low table, everyone else was seated in the huge leather couch next to it, a tenseness clearly visible in each and every one of them.  
Tony did not join them, though. He felt the strong need to pace, and so he did.

Steve had gone to get some clothes for Loki, on Thor's repeated plea. No one was willing to give Loki the impression he was welcome to stay, but Thor was their friend after all.  
As Loki returned, changed into black sweat pants and a white t-shirt hanging loosely on her small form, Tony couldn't help but be relieved that at least the seductive dress was out of the picture.  
Soon they all sat together again, even Tony had calmed down slightly and decided to join them, as Thor had begun to talk.

"Loki won't hurt anybody, I swear it."

He was met with incredulous stares, of course.

"Believe me. She has redeemed herself in the dastard attack the frost giants have performed on Asgard, as our father was in his Odin-Sleep. That, and the punishment she had faced before. Our mother has also taken her magic from her, she is no danger to you, trust me. I would not have brought her, wouldn't it be so."

Steve slowly shook his head. No matter the amount of Loki's power, he just couldn't understand what would bring Thor to taking his brother along for a trip to earth, to New York of all places.

"Why bring him.. her at all? Any particular reason you might want to share with us?"

"It was her wish, and mine. Midgard has become dear to me and I wish no mistrust between my friends and my family. It is one thing to seek redemption up in Asgard, but the more important matter lies here on earth. She has wreaked havoc in this very city and if she would truly seek redemption, she would have to do it here, while all of you still lived. It is what we decided on."

"Wait... you mean she is going to stay?!", Tony was not amused.

"Don't worry, I trust you'll be alright. Today was unfortunate, but that won't happen again. I'm afraid I can't stay for long, Asgard can never be without its king for too long."

Loki nearly jumped in her seat.

"Don't you dare just leave me here. You can't-"

"I'm sorry Loki, but there is no other way. They are my friends, I trust they'll treat you well."

Further protest was simply ignored, as the thunderer got up and headed for the balcony with a stupid grin on his face. Loki, and everyone else for that matter, got up and followed after him.

"Heimdall, do you hear me?"

A familiar light appeared high up in the sky and a suspicious wind arose.

"Thor, no! Please... take me with you, or at least stay! One night, come on!"

Loki was begging now, but it was no use. As she tried to grip her brother's arm, hang on to him for dear life, he was already whisked away by the bifröst's pull and Loki was left behind, alone.  
She fell to her knees and stared at the spot her brother had just occupied in disbelief.  
A small huff of a laugh was accompanied by a helpless smile.

"My brother has always been more optimistic for his own good, or mine for that matter."

For a second everyone just stood and stared, then Cap did the only sensible thing in this situation and grabbed Loki.  
They dragged her inside and down several hallways. A short ride in the elevator finally left them standing in front of a familiar structure. It was an exact replica of the Hulk cage S.H.I.E.L.D had on their helicarrier, minus the drop-mechanic, that is.  
Tony felt the slender arm tense under his grip, Loki stopped dead in her tracks and her breathing had begun to speed up audibly.

"Don't lock me up, I beg you. I can't be locked up!"

It was no use. Tony wouldn't have been able to move her, but Cap was and with combined strength they managed to haul her forward and into the cage and shut the door behind her just in time for her to turn around and see the locks slide in place. There was a look of defeat in her eyes that might have moved Tony. Might have.

"Thor trusted you.", she said and the implication that came with that sentence sent shivers down Tony's spine.

"Well, Thor is an idiot. He shouldn't have left you here, which is what we are going to tell him when he comes knocking. He is free to pick you up and take you back anytime he wants."

With this they turned around and went back upstairs, leaving behind a deeply troubled Loki. This was not going to be pretty.

"He trusted you."

* * *

**I thought about creating another story for this, or at least change the name of this one... but to be honest, I sort of got used to it. **

**I didn't really think I'd get away with it either ö_ö**

**This will be a longer one, I think... I hope it doesn't end up too generic, I mean... Loki's redemption in the Avenger's Tower, that's a classic. But the way I have written the plot so far, I think it's unique enough ^^**

**Please tell me what you think so far, I always highly appreciate feedback :D**


	3. two realms

Thor was happy as could be, everything had gone great.  
Well, except the thing with Tony, but that would soon be forgotten.  
As he exited the bifröst on the other side, the golden one, he resisted the urge to ask Heimdall to look down. He should give Loki and his friends some time to become acquainted with each other without himself budding in all the time. They'll get there, eventually.  
His mind skipped ahead to future adventures; Loki, the Avengers and himself side by side, fighting of the evil hordes of HYDRA and the like. It would be glorious.

One thing he knew for sure, though. He would have to let Loki befriend them by himself, or else he would stay the _little brother_ forever. He had made that mistake before, but not this time. Not again.  
He returned to the castle with a spring in his step, eager to tell his mother about Loki's safe arrival on earth. He wouldn't tell her everything, just enough so she wouldn't be worried.  
Frigga awaited him anxiously. She had promised to let him handle things, promised not to look on. After all, he needed her eyes on Asgard as long as he was gone.

"How went it?"

Worry laced her voice, he couldn't blame her.

"Well! It went very well. The man of iron and Loki are already hitting it off!"

That was sort of the truth, right?  
Frigga tutted at him.

"Oh Thor, you know how I hate it when you try to talk like them. Still, it is good they are getting along. I must admit, I would not have thought it would ever be so easy. Your friends must be very kind to grant our Loki this second chance."

Thor opened his mouth to confirm that assumption, but Friggar hushed him and frowned at the wall.

"Something is very wrong."

It was then that Thor saw it too. The bricks were alive, they pulsed and moved under an unseen force. A magical force.

"Guards!", Frigga used her commanding voice, a voice Thor did not hear often. It was not answered, though, and his mother was becoming increasingly nervous.

"It's magic, isn't it. Can you tell whose it is?" Thor could never tell. Everything that sparkled was magic to him.

"It feels a little like Loki's, but different. Might be Hela... let us hope it's not. There seems to be another element mixed in aswell, maybe there are two of them."

The wall dissolved, then, turned into single bricks that hurriedly shimmied away from mother and son, leaving only the magical shimmer to surround them in a globe of light.

"Can't you do something, mother?"

Whenever there was magic involved Thor immediately felt out of his league. He had never managed to truly wrap his mind around the concept of it, therefore evaluating the danger this wall might pose was beyond him.

"I am a seer, son. I can tell you not to touch the barrier if you value your life, other than that... I cannot do much to help."

A mocking laugh came from behind them, the shrill voice filled the room and made them cringe. They knew that sound.

"Enchantress! What is the meaning of this? Who brought you here, Amora?"

The lady in green simply smiled a charming smile and started walking towards them, hips swinging.

"Oh, you did not know? We _all_ came here. It's a meeting, a big one. Hela's here aswell, _he_ called and we answered. It is about time you _golden ones_ were dealt with once and for all."

"He? Who are you speaking of, answer me!"

"Ah, you'll see... all in due time. For now, rest assured that no matter what you do, we will not fail this time. But first, allow me to separate you. I would grant each of you a little more personal space, if that is fine by you."

With this the bricks moved again, the globe of light split and the two prisoners hurried towards opposite sides of it to not touch the pulsing magic. Soon the stones followed and a wall was built between them, granting each of them their own magically enforced cell.  
Then Thor was alone, Frigga caught just like him, and Odin, Odin still slept.  
His only hope lay within the Warriors Three now.

* * *

Steve hated Loki-duty, hated every second of it.  
Even if he didn't go to check up on the guy or girl, _they_ constantly changed their gender this morning, there was still this tingly sense of anticipation.  
Tony had taken a big part of the night shift, which he had transformed into a load of mindgames, sitting down in front of the cage with a bottle of beer in one hand and snacks in the other. His gloating had been met with indifference, though, as Loki sat with his back turned towards him, ignoring him completely.  
Steve didn't have the nerve to stay near the cage too long, all he did was check up on him every half hour or so. That's what the Widow had done and so had Clint, should be good enough for him, too, right?  
As he went back to the cage now, though, he felt something was up. Something was so definetely not right here. He heard the loud bang on the cage door, not something that fit Loki's profile at all. As he bent around the corner he saw the reason for the commotion, Thor was locked up inside the cage. Again.  
The god was furious. His hammer lay meters away from the door, so he banged against the glass with his bare fists, but to no avail.  
When he finally noticed Steve his fuming took a different direction.

"_You locked him up_? After everything I have done for you you just _take_ my brother and _lock_ him up like a common fiend?! I trusted you! He's in redemption, you fools!"

Steve shrunk under the thunderer's rage, but this was no time to be meek.

"Let's talk about that later. How did you get in there anyway?" Steve began fumbling with the door mechanism.

"He... tricked me. Again. It's embarassing. I was just so... worried for him. He was scared, I just wanted him out of there. So I opened the door and went in to greet him, but he was faster than I and closed the door between us. Same as he had done before."

"You don't learn, do you."

To that the thunderer's rage flamed up anew.

"You are the ones to blame! Hadn't you done this to him, had you treated him with more respect and dignity, we would not be having this conversation! We would be having breakfast, we all together, like I had planned to! You are so _petty_, it is unbelievable. He-"

"Alright, alright... I get it. Wait a sec, I'll get you out of here."

When the door finally slid open Thor all but stormed out and past Cap, heading for the upper levels.  
As he arrived there everyone was assembled, or scattered, in and across the lounge.  
Thor went straight for the big armchair and threw himself into it.  
Steve came running behind him, even a super-human might be hard pressed to keep up with an angry thundergod.

"Loki's gone, he tricked Thor to release him."

Thor laughed.

"No, he's not gone. He tricked Captain America to open the cage, but he didn't flee when he had the chance."

Everyone was silent for a moment, contemplating. Realisation sunk in and figurative dark clouds began to form just under the ceiling.

"Seriously though, you didn't even notice Thor was wearing the clothes you gave me yesterday?"

Well now he did. The black sweatpants worked alright, the white t-shirt got a little tight around the chest, though. Loki probably noticed the same and finally changed back to his usual, male self.

"Please don't misunderstand this, I did not mean any harm. It's just... I can't be locked up again, I _can't_ have my freedom taken from me."

He couldn't tell if his words hit or not, right now Natasha looked ready to draw, so did Clint, and Stark nervously adjusted the bracelets around his wrists. Loki sighed.

"I have been punished severely, back in Asgard. I know this does not matter much to you, but believe this, all I want now is my peace. It wasn't my decision to come to earth, I know you are not ready to forgive and let me be honest, I don't want you to either. I will not ask for forgiveness, all I would ask is for you to tolerate my presence here until my idiotic brother decides to make his return."

His request would not be granted. Steve didn't like being manipulated, he didn't like being made look stupid. No one held him back when he hurried towards Loki with few long strides, gripped him by the arm and yanked him up again.  
The instant his hand touched the man's biceps he turned again, the pleading face of Lady Loki back in place.  
It was easier dragging the hated man to the cage than this girl, no matter how many times he told himself they were one and the same.  
It couldn't be helped, if Loki learned how his shape actually succeeded in influencing him he wouldn't stop there, Steve knew. So he sucked it up and brought the prisoner back to their cage.  
No mind games in the world would make him release him again, he promised himself as the door slid shut once again and the god inside threw him her most honest look of hurt.

"No use, _princess._", he said with a smirk and saw her flinch.

Back up in the lounge heavy silence greeted him. Everyone suddenly seemed very busy staring at their own hands or the coffee cups those hand were holding, in Tony's case.  
The Iron Avenger looked particularly troubled.

"What's wrong, Tony? Don't tell me you buy all that talk?"

The inventor looked more down than Steve would have ever thought possible.

"No, no... It's just that-... Well, being locked up really does suck. Believe me, I know. I don't trust Loki, don't get me wrong, I just feel sorry for her... or him or whatever."

"So you say we let her go?"

"No, nothing like that... That's what sucks about the situation. I don't want to lock her up, I don't want her running around the tower either. Or out onto the street, for that matter."

"Hm, I guess we can't do anything until Thor gets back. Until then she'll just have to suck it up and deal with it."

Tony's look darkened significantly.

"I know I can't belive a word he says, but I have to do something, right? I mean, we are the humans here. We are supposed to be all compassionate and shit."

"So what do you propose, then?"

"Well, I'll figure something out, I guess. I have some ideas I need to test. Until then, we can't change it. He stays locked up."

Loki paced. It did not help the agitation that burned him inside out. If anything it made it worse, so he sat. That wasn't any better. His cell had the same equipment the one in the helicarrier had had. The bed was probably really uncomfortable. It looked uncomfortable, he hadn't tried it yet and he wasn't going to. Never let the enemy see your weakness. Sleep was probably considered a weakness, and he wouldn't let them see him sleep.  
The cameras in each corner of the cell moved every now and then, no doubt feeding footage of his every desperate action to the mortals upstairs. The see-through wall didn't help, either. He felt exposed, at their mercy, helpless. It drove him insane, made his blood boil in hopeless drive. He couldn't stand this for one more minute, that's what he told himself every few second for what seemed like hours.  
There were no windows, no way for him to tell if it was day or night.  
It was probably still day, it had been when he had last exited his prison.

It was curious, though, how similar Asgardian and Midgardian prison cells were in that regard. Asgardians made sure to always have their cells underground to take every sense of time from their prisoners, to have them despair in the everlasting darkness.  
Funny, how neon-bright lights managed to have just the same effect, if not worse. He would kill for some shadow right about now.

Hours of shifting around, of pacing, of willing himself to sit still had passed when someone finally came.  
It was Stark again, he'd probably come to gloat some more, accompanied by the blond idiot he had tricked into releasing him earlier.  
The device in his hands hinted at something different entirely, as they opened the door just long enough for Cap to slip in, Tony standing vigil outside.

The device could most likely be described as a sort of metal collar and his darkest suspicion was proven to be true seconds later, as Cap knealt down beside him to fasten the thing around his neck. Loki would have none of that and he crawled back, found his feet and edged further away from the man and his strange binding device.  
Surprisingly enough he gave up immediately and left the cell.  
As the door shut behind him a soft hiss could be heard. Seconds later Loki lost consciousness.

When he woke up he was lying on a bed, a real bed in a real room.  
It was when he tried to sit up that he felt the weight of metal pressing against the sensitive skin of his throat. Great, just great. As if he hadn't been humiliated enough.  
Well, at least he was free. The shackle did not seem to be connected to anything, though he wasn't as naive as to believe it only held metaphorical value.  
He was free to walk around, that's what counted and so he got up to make use of his new-found freedom.

The lounge looked empty, at first. A figure sat on the couch, bathed in the shadows dusk painted the room in. Outside lights were beginning to flicker on. It took him a while to make out Stark's dark smile and he went to join him.

"What is this thing?", he asked straight ahead and tapped the piece of metal around his neck.

"Just a minor security for us. It is directly wired into JARVIS, if you leave the tower it will electrocute you. With increasing strength too, the further you get away. You understand that?"

Loki knew what electricity felt like, he was Thor's brother after all.

"Yes, I do. And I'm anxious to see my dear brother's reaction to it." He couldn't help but grin at the immediate change in expression that sentence caused in the other man.  
"Still, thank you for letting me leave that cage. I do appreciate it."

"Just stay out of our way and lets hope Thor picks you up soon. And to be clear, you cause trouble, of any kind, you go back into your cell. We can also trigger your collar remotely, so don't even think about doing something stupid while you're here, got it?"

He didn't feel like answering, but feeling it would probably be considered a bad start he forced himself to at least nod at the question, trying to get over the passive agressiveness of it.  
A low rumble reminded him of the fact, that he had ignored all food presented to him in the cell.

"Could I have something to eat?"

He couldn't be sure how long it would take Thor to finally get himself back down here, as far as he knew, his brother might just take his regained freedom as a reason to let him stay a little longer, a good sign of sorts. Idiot. If he was watching at all, that is. Somehow Loki wasn't even sure about that. Surely Thor would never let them lock him up again, right?

"Help yourself, the kitchen is right there."

Stark seemed displeased at the prospect of having to deal with Loki for a while longer, so he got up and left.

"Ask JARVIS if you need anything. He'll help you, provided you ask nicely."

And with that he was gone.

Loki did a quick search through the kitchen cabinets and finally settled for a few slices of bread to take back to his room, this would have to do for now.  
He didn't feel like staying in the lounge for too long and something told him, the others would appreciate if he didn't.

What the hell was taking Thor so long?


	4. attention

Being ignored had never bothered him before. Not like this. Maybe it was the fact that they were mortals, humans should acknowledge a god when he lives under their roof, shouldn't they?  
He didn't expect them to worship him, nothing like that. But is it too much to ask to be treated with a little bit of fear? Hostility? Anything?  
The open mistrust and loathsome stares he got whenever he dared be in the same room as any of them weren't enough. He wasn't going to provoke them or anything, he wasn't stupid. Nor did he plan to spend more time with them than necessary. It was only a matter of time, though, until he just couldn't stand it any more. Something had to happen, now.  
He knew the easiest way to make something happen and it went even easier than he'd expected. Stark was in the spacious shower of his personal bathroom when he entered. He didn't notice the intruder, as he was currently busy, his business made obvious by laboured breathing and hand motions Loki knew too well.

He quickly slid into something more suitable for this occasion, his other body, that is. She wasted no time entering the shower, it would be a pity if he happened to be done before she had had her fun, wouldn't it?  
Exciting flashbacks of another night ghosted over her mind as she wrapped her arms around the muscular chest from behind. The body in front of her jerked away instantly, the tenseness around his shoulders did not disperse one bit after the man had turned and realised whom he was dealing with.

"You.", he spat.

She did not deem it necessary to answer the unspoken question between them. Her motive was obvious enough, was it not?  
She stood close enough to catch some of the hot spray of water that still rained down, by now her hair aswell as her naked body were dripping wet. Stark's erection hadn't faltered one bit, as she observed. Good boy. He didn't even try and hide it in a misguided sense of shame.

"I would have you.", she purred in her most seductive tone. If that doesn't do the trick, nothing will.

"Would you now..."

His tone was sceptical, hostile even, but his actions spoke louder as he closed in and pressed her flush against the cold tiles at the other end of the shower stall.  
She was hoisted up seconds later, he really didn't waste much time. She was entered quite unceremoniously then, her legs wrapped around his waist nearly automatically as he didn't see it necessary to hold her with more than his own chest pressed against hers, his hands busy running up and down her sides, gripping her ass every now and then for good measure. It was fast, hot and sloppy, and it didn't last long for obvious reasons. He came with a low grunt and a last couple of thrusts before he let her down and turned to finish washing up.  
Loki had to bite back a challenge, or anything really. This hadn't helped. If anything, this had made it so much worse.

"I don't think I was quite finished.", she did her best to sound neutral and failed, anger seeping through every syllable of the statement.

"I don't think I quite care. What do you expect, jumping a man who's half-finished the job already? Go bother Clint, maybe he'd finish you, if you ask nicely."

She'd murder him right this moment but for reasons unknown to even herself she didn't. She left, all but thrown out by the man she desired against better judgement. Humiliated, used and weak. Well, lonely. But admitting to her own loneliness always made her feel so vulnerable, so she'd rather not acknowledge the feeling as what it was.  
To make matters worse the one person she had to run into was a certain archer of all people. He still hadn't confronted her about the things that had happened back then, she didn't know if he would. It had to be quite traumatic for him, after all. Be that as it may, there was an elephant in the room, and that was always an uncomfortable environment to be in.  
She should leave, she knew she should. Just pull herself together, draw back, get some rest. But her pride wouldn't allow it. Something's got to give.

"Hawk.", she greeted instead, tone as neutral as possible. The fact that she dared speak to him alone would be provocation enough. That and the spontanious change of gender, which was in no way related to any attempt at triggering certain memories and possibly entice a negative reaction from the man in front of Loki.

"Want anything?"

The wetness between her legs had translated beautifully to a proud tent in his pants. Wonderful, _that_ he hadn't thought of. He flashed the man a bright smile, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Can't I have a simple, nice chat with my former colleague, for old time's sake?"

If that didn't do the trick~  
He wasn't used to being particularly bold in his manipulations, but the archer proved to be a bit of a challenge, apparently.  
As was probably to be expected of a man of his trade.

"You don't want to go there.", Clint said with a gleam to his eyes that definitely said '_go there_'.

Loki just smiled some more and started walking towards the lounge. It took him some seconds, but eventually the other man followed after him with quick steps.

"Hey, freak! I'm talking to you! Hey, princess!"

Loki winced. The plan had been to make the _Hawk_ angry, things weren't going so well, it seemed. Old images were flaring up in his mind now, pictures and sounds and smells he'd rather forget. All arousal that had remained from his quick encounter with Stark was now gone and forgotten, a queasy feeling had taken its place in the pit of his stomach and no matter how hard he clenched his fists, this would not go away that easily as control once again eluded him.

"Don't think I'd be stupid enough to attack you, magic or no magic... I know I still don't stand a chance. But you come at me with shit like this and I will retaliate in any way I know."

The archer's tone was kind, cheerful even. The words in stark contrast to the gentleness of his voice.

"Retaliate then, throw at me what you have, let's see if you'll manage to get a reaction."

At least he sounded confident enough, hoping the other man hadn't noticed the impact a few choice words had already had on him.  
They had reached the lounge by now, both of them found their seats, ignoring the redhead that already occupied the area.

"So, let's see. You obviously have problems with your big bro, but right now he's sort of your only hope to get out of here, so I won't even go there. A guy like you must have a little more on his plate to go batshit, right? Let's talk about that. You can lay down, if you'd like."

Natasha eyed them curiously over the edge of her book.

"What ever happened to ignoring the guy?"

"Well, try ignoring a guy that walks right at you with a hard-on and some of his usual lines, couldn't resist."

She just raised her eyebrows some more at that and went back to reading, no doubt monitoring their exchange closely.  
Loki couldn't hold back a snicker.

"I'm loathe to disappoint you, my Hawk, but that was in no way related to you. I'm sorry, I didn't think you would miss me so."

Clint was on him within split-seconds, fist raised high to strike, but it remained there. The man's gaze did its best to burn right through Loki's cool, indifferent stare.

"You would like that, wouldn't you? If I hit you? Nah, I'm not that dumb. There must be something to that little magic lock of yours, something about self-defense. I won't risk setting you lose, no chance. I wish I knew how to hurt you in other ways, turns out I don't. At least not as well as you know how to bother me. Try telling me one more time that you're here to redeem yourself."

"I was, I really was."

He was being honest. Did it show? He doubted it. Somehow people were the least likely to believe him whenever he was telling the truth. The enemies he currently lived with certainly belonged to that group of people.

"We haven't heard from Thor in days. You'd think he has this Heimdall dude watching over his little brother, right? You'd think he'd be furious if we locked you up, put that collar on you and threatened your life if you left the premises. You'd think he'd care about that sort of thing, wouldn't you? So where is he now? Where is Thor? Because you can tell me whatever the hell you want, this here doesn't look like redemption to me, it looks an aweful lot like exile."

The tightening in his throat had increased with every word Barton cooed from his side. He didn't need to watch to see the mocking display of pity on the mortal's face. He knew he shouldn't mind, he knew better. The only problem was, the man was playing right into his deepest insecurities. Asgard had always hated him, hadn't they. He thought back on these blissful weeks after his punishment, his return home. He had been welcomed by everyone and moreso even after his heroic acts in the attack on the city soon after. He had been good and they had accepted him. Yet, his heart would never be free from all the doubts and worries that had been planted over centuries of mistrust and loathing towards his person. Who was he to be forgiven such acts of hatred against his own people?  
He should answer the archer, he knew. Silence would only tell him how deeply his words hit, but he feared what might leave his mouth dared he open it.

"Why so serious now? I thought we were playing a little. Isn't that supposed to be your game? Come to think of it, even the Amora chick we battled this one time was more asgardian than you. And she was a woman and a wizard... witch... thing. After everything Thor has told us about your little home you must really be a total freak back there. They're probably laughing their asses off right now and we're stuck here with you, awesome."

Loki managed a laugh, he put all the bite he had into it, still it rang hollow even to himself.

"Is this what you come up with? My un-asgardianness? Not everyone can be Thor, not even in Asgard."

"No, but you're not even his true brother, are you? Who's to say you even are Asgardian? I mean... look at you. The shape-shifting and shit. He told us you're adopted-"

"_Thor_ told you that?"

There was no place in his mind for careful choice of words now. This was the highest form of betrayal of his trust, the biggest secret in his life, carelessly given to these... _mortals_.

"What else did he tell you?", he sounded desperate, he hated it. Clint only laughed.

"Well, the situation was sort of... unique. It's funny really, I wasn't there, sadly, but the way I understand it he disowned you as his brother after he learned about what you did, the people you killed. He never told you that?"

Of course he hadn't. Loki was struggling to keep a straight face by now. Thor would never... would he? Of course he would. He had done so before. Maybe not in such crassness, but he had always conveniently pushed him aside, put him down in front of his friends or their father, had he not? Loki remembered every second of his past humiliations by the hand of his _brother_.  
The important thing at hand was not showing the mortal how he had hit a mark, damage control.

"Know this, mortal. My brother has forgiven me everything I've done, including trying to end him on several occasions. Who am I to hold a grudge over a petty remark born of his vanity and my own misguided actions at the time."

There, this'll have to do.

"I tire of this."

And he got up and went to the room they had assigned him, insides boiling with near forgotten hurt and rage. Not by the hands of Stark, but of his own brother, betrayed again. His mind was busy reminding him that this was a betrayal of the past, but that did not make learning of it now any better. He had so readily disowned him, after exclaiming his brotherly love at every given occasion in an attempt to move him. How blind had he been, taking Thor's love for granted, when it was never really his to begin with.

The room was quiet.  
His thoughts all the louder and brighter, raging and rioting in his mind with long forgotten force and drive.

"Where are you, brother?", he whispered.

* * *

She found Stark in his workshop, tinkering away at some machine of sorts.  
It was the middle of the night, a nightmare had haunted her, mercifully waking her before the gruesome end like it did every time. She would not sleep again this night, that much she knew.  
Not until she passed out of exhaustion would she allow herself to be taken by sleep, not with the possibility to enter this horrible dream again.  
He was the only one awake and she needed a distraction. Besides, she had finally figured out what else had been wrong back then in the shower. Apart from the roughness and shortness of the act, that alone would probably not keep her from her release, no. He hadn't kissed her, not once. Not even let his mouth touch her neck or anything. He hadn't looked at her either.

She would make him look now, she would have that kiss.

He still had no idea she was there, music was blaring loudly, one had to wonder how any living person could be asleep in this tower.  
It did suit her purpose, though, so she won't complain about it. Instead she sneaked up to him and, much like before, encircled his chest from behind. Difference was, she wouldn't let go now.  
He startled at the sudden touch but relaxed soon enough, as he noticed who was standing behind him and that he wouldn't get away this time.  
Loki tried taking it slow, sensual, even though the scent of oil and sweat was clouding her senses more than she cared to admit. Her face was pressed between his shoulder blades, her hands running up his chest, feeling every small ripple of muscle and hard nipples through the thin fabric. She couldn't withhold an appreciative hum as she gripped his shoulders, pressed closer into him with all her body. He was hot, she felt heat radiate from him even through her own clothes. This was so much more to her liking, she thought to herself and smiled and got on her toes to reach his ear.  
"You may have your way with me now.", she whispered and felt him shudder ever so slightly before he turned around to face her.

"JARVIS, music."

Silence. The only sound was their soft breathing. Normally hearing each other breathe should be awkward, somehow it wasn't.  
It was Loki who finally closed the distance between them, her arms wrapped around his neck and her body's length flush against his, she was face to face with him. She wanted to withstand his stare, she really did, but she couldn't help her gaze twitching to those lips of his every now and then, longingly.

"You better make me come this time, it's not that hard if you try a little. I'd also like to have my kiss."

He gave her nothing but a smug grin at that. "You came to me, didn't you?" Fucking arrogant prick.

She chose not to be angry now, giving her hips a tentative thrust up into his crotch sounded more fun anyway. He huffed at her sudden movement, but apparently took the hint and lifted her up with ease. A workbench was cleared with one quick sweep and then her chest lay flush against the cool metal surface, slick with oil and other remnants of Stark's late-night tinkering. Her pants were pulled down just as far as needed and then he was on her, again, fucking her bent over the workbench and she couldn't deny how hot it made her.  
He took it slow, too. Suddenly the metal beneath her skin couldn't be cold enough to balance the heat that washed over her and she felt a needy moan leave her lips. Damn you, Stark.  
"What, am I that good? Want more?", his voice sounded way too in control, calm and low and a little husky right beside her ear. She felt his hot breath and it only made matters worse. She wouldn't beg, never. Not after the way he'd treated her earlier. No way. He was still moving slowly, too slowly. She bucked her hips back against him, but it was no use. Worse, he stilled completely. She groaned in frustration as she tried to fuck herself on his cock, to no avail. It wasn't the same.

"What, aren't you gonna ask for more? I thought you wanted to come so badly."

"Fuck you.", the words came with a sharp hiss as he had decided to drive into her, deeply. Loki's legs buckled at the sudden bolt of pleasure and she had to bite her lip to not outright growl at him again. She did so soon after anyway, as he decided to not wait for the god to beg but just take her instead. The heat of his body left for a moment, as he leaned back to pick up the pace. She took the chance to pull back and whirl herself around, now lying on her back, legs hooked over his shoulders. He frowned at her seizure of control, but got over it quickly enough at the sight that presented itself to him. Apparently motor oil on breasts was a turn on, much to Loki's delight. She liked to see him come undone at every twitch of her hip, every little adjustment she made to their angle. His hands were all over her, rough and strong, and all it took was an exceptionally eager shove accompanied by those hands on her hips to send her over the edge. He fucked her through the last remnants of her orgasm, leaving her breathless, before he pulled out and finished himself by hand, spilling onto her stomach and chest with a satisfied growl of his own.

She pushed herself up and managed a kneeling position in front of him, encircling his head with both arms as gently as she could, given the longing inside her chest to just crush their mouths together in a soul-consuming kiss.  
She savoured the moment, though. The amused hue in his eyes, as he looked up at her, the small hint of a smile.

"See, told you I'd have my kiss.", she whispered and closed in, only to feel a hand pressed on her face, holding her back.

"No, darling, you won't. I don't kiss whores, know your place. You had your orgasm, isn't that enough?"

She couldn't say if she'd loosened her hold of he had pushed her back and wriggled free, all she knew was that he was suddenly not there anymore, but gathering his clothes and leaving.  
It was cold, without the body on hers.

"At least I might be able to sleep now, thanks for that, my whore."

Loki huffed in an attempt to speak, to throw venomous words at him like daggers, anything, but her famed silvertongue failed her and then he was gone, she was left sitting here feeling like just that, a dumb whore.


	5. he

Days had went by before they let Thor out for the first time. The sight that presented itself to him was one to behold.  
The halls were littered with lifeless bodies as they went, guards and civilians alike. "They are alive, for now.", Amora informed him, kindly. "Sleeping."  
That made sense. Hela and the Enchantress and who-knows-who-else had taken the city silently, sneakily. Crept up on them like a shadow until each and every one of them was defeated, sleeping.

"Won't they starve?"

"Oh, I'd think so. But it won't come to that if you coorperate. _He_ will see you now."

_He_, the man in the shadows. Thor had thought of all of them, all the evil in this world and the surrounding ones. There were hundreds of men with an interest in hurting the golden city, most of which very likely to work with the likes of Hela and Amora. The fact that the two of them worked together though, that was new.  
So Thor thought of Mephisto, he thought of Malekith, of Surtur and his army of demons. Each of those were more than capable of taking Asgard, if allied with the likes of Hela and Amora. The question was, whom of them he'd face. A question that was bound to be answered too soon, and he feared what he'd learn.  
He has beaten all of these foes before, but never had he been all alone for the task.

The throne room was close, now. Eerie silence held the place in its grip, not a sound echoed from the ancient stone walls. This was not his home, not anymore.  
Finally the doors swung open, hinges creaking with the weight of massive gold, and the shape that sat on the throne before them just could not be what it was.  
Thor knew the elegant posture, the slender form. Most of all, he knew the distinctly shaped horns on the golden helmet, knew the armor, everything.  
He hurried towards the throne, this may yet be a trick of the Enchantress, they knew his weakness. They always knew of the soft spot in his heart.  
As he came close his worst fear was confirmed. It was indeed Loki, who sat in their father's seat, Gungnir in his tight grip, to add insult to injury.  
Thor ran towards him, screaming with uncontained rage. He was beyond questioning, beyond trying to understand now.  
Loki deflected him with ease, sending him to the floor where he slid across the polished stone and finally came to a halt in a heap of limbs. While the shackles Amora had put on him wouldn't hold him in place, they did a good job of holding him back at least.

"Good to see you too, brother. I see you rule Asgard one again, after all I've done to prove your worthlessness to father, you still come out on top. But I digress, the time for grudges is long passed. We should both take a step back and look at the facts here. I hold Asgard's citizens in a deep sleep from which they'll never awaken without my cue. The decision is up to you now, would you rather fight me and leave them to starve or will you see reason and accept me as your rightful king?

"Once you are sworn to obey me, your king, I will release them, one at a time, have them swear their fealty to me aswell and all will be good. What say you? Would you rather be a hero or kill your people over a petty grudge?"

Thor's mind, ajumble with a shower of rage and confusion, struggled to comprehend the ultimatum sat before him.  
This did not make sense, after everything they had gone through together, could he have misjudged his own brother so gravely?

"How did you get back here, without your magic? Did you get Hela do break the enchantment for you? Amora doesn't possess the skill to do it, to break Frigga's magicks."

Loki did look bad. His armor was torn and roughed up, old bruises adorned his skin and his eyes looked mad, crazed and in dire need of sleep. This was not the brother he had left on Midgard to stay with his friends. What could have happened in those few days?

"I may be drained of most my powers, but I still possess powerful allies, I believe you have met them. Do not think me powerless, no matter what traps our dear mother might have set against me, it looks like I managed to avoid them so far. How I got here is not the point, I have said what needed saying and my patience is running low, so answer me or bear the consequences."

This was a catastrophe. No matter how his brother had ended up like this, once again, this situation had to be dealt with. Mjölnir lay trapped in a powerful enchanted cage, not even Thor's call may reach it now. The Warrior's Three were sure to slumber in some hallway or the other, along with the rest of Asgard's force. There were really only two people that might save the Golden City, and those two were himself and Frigga. Now all he needed was time. The Odinsleep had gone on for some time, if fortune favoured them it would end soon. Time, that's all they needed.

"Never will I blaspheme against our father and suffer seeing you occupy his seat and bear his mighty spear Gungnir. I don't know what transpired to make you turn on your family yet again, but I will not bend to your will, never!"

Had he expected Loki to be furious at his resistance? Maybe. All the liesmith granted him now was laughter.  
The man looked to be having fun, he enjoyed this. _You are not my brother_, Thor thought, but the words never made it past his lips, to hurtful were they to accept after he was given so much hope by his brother's redeeming actions the weeks before.

"Thor Odinson, I would have it no other way. Take him back to his cell, and make sure he has enough to eat. We wouldn't like him wanting for anything, while his people starve in their slumber."

The mad grin was the last thing he saw, as the glowing shackles around his wrists once again tightened and he was led away.  
Frigga, she was the only one that may stop him yet. The enchantment she had lain on him might have been broken, but he didn't seem to be all aware of the others that were still vacant underneath the one that bound his magicks to her will.

* * *

There was a crack in Amora's magic. The one that bound him in his cell, that is.  
It wasn't of a physical nature, that she had covered beautifully, as befit Thor's status as the God of Thunder and a warrior of the highest rank.  
No, it was more of a little window. It left him blind to the outside world, but he coul hear and feel in his mind. It was Frigga's voice he heard, and it was the sweetest sound he'd ever experienced.  
He told her, of course. At first she doubted his words, took him for a trick Amora was playing on her mind. But after a while she accepted the truth as what it was.  
Thor asked her about the other enchantments, the precautions they had taken. Frigga cried for her youngest son, then, but she complied as she knew she had to. Loki didn't give them much choice so what had to be done was done.


	6. punishment

Loki woke up and felt like dying. For some reason his head hurt, his mouth was dry, his stomach didn't feel the way it's supposed to, and then there was this persistent tightness in his chest. The latter he knew whom to blame on. Humiliation didn't sit well with him, but where otherwise he would have lashed out, here he felt like reacting the opposite way. To hide away from the world, wait for all of this to stop. He had time, immortal as he was.  
For a moment he chuckled at the thought of staying in his room until all of them had died, but then again, patience wasn't the mortals' strong point and they would surely drag him out pretty soon.  
Also the prospect of doing nothing for fifty-or-so years wasn't worth the joy of seeing them die.

Yes, Loki was in a dark place this morning, and hearing the clatter of cutlery and cheery laughter of the assembled Avengers in the lounge didn't heighten his motivation to face this day. And why should he.  
Well, a drink sounded nice, and so did food.  
Maybe he'd just stand up real quick and stock up on provisions for a couple of days.  
He wouldn't have to look at them or anything, least of all at Stark. And who the hell did they think they were anyway? The God of Chaos and Lies, Mischief and Fire, wouldn't be contained by a handful of fleshlings.  
So he collected his last scraps of dignity, put on his sane-and-collected face and went to greet the world.

He ignored them, of course. They ignored him, again, that was to be expected.  
It bothered him like it had the days before. There was an itchy feeling around his mouth, it made him feel like grimacing and screaming. Anything to relieve this pressure.  
He kept still, though, and went to collect some food and a couple of bottles. After all, he really didn't plan on facing his captors again anytime soon.  
The feeling worsened as he went on, accompanied by a tightening just under his ribcage. Something was wrong, very wrong. He felt magic seep through him, not his own, it was his mother's. Was the magic barrier to be lifted? Finally?  
No. He scolded himself for hope where none was due.  
It hurt. Like needles pricking his face. He realised he had stopped dead in his tracks, standing vacantly beside the table.

"You alright?"

Disinterest laced Steve's voice, so Loki didn't even bother to look to him for help.  
The blow of energy that hit him next sent him sprawling to the floor, something was taken from him, then. Something more. He felt a part of his being rejected by the power within his own body, and with it the ability to change his shape was gone. What in the nine-

The disinterest had dispersed and suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder, attempting to turn him around. He began to taste blood, then.

"He's faking it, don't bother.", Stark snarled, obviously displeased with the attention his whore was given.

The white-hot, needling pain in his face reached its peak and he screamed, yet nothing but a strangled groan would come out. Bright strings of magic held his mouth in place, pulling tighter and tighter, until his lips were sealed shut, only then the hot feeling dissolved and his hand shot up to find cool wires entwined in the flesh of his lips, cutting deeper at every attempt to move, to speak.  
He was hyperventilating through his nose now, the hand that had turned him around by the shoulder revealed itself to have belonged to Steve Rogers, but Loki's eyes found no focus as they flicked across the room in panic and confusion, his gaze drowned in tears still unshed.

"You call that faking?!", Cap's voice was shrilller than usual, as he beckoned his team mates to come take a look.

They all did, kneeling down beside Loki, shock and horror in their widened eyes.

Even Tony was over being the distant, arrogant jerk he was and hurried around the table to join them.  
"Oh fuck, fuck, fuck... we need to get Thor, stat."

There was more said, more voices' ramblings, incoherent to the shock-deaf ears of Loki.  
He saw movement through a haze, heard the distant rumble of panicking mortals aroung him, but all that was left for him to do was breathe and swallow blood and most importantly, find an answer to the all-consuming question: Where had he gone wrong to deserve yet another cruel punishment?

He didn't remember much of those first few minutes after the attack. He knew he had cooled down a little at some point, long after he was sat down comfortably with Cap at his side to calm him, console him. Stark had run off somewhere, too aggrevated to deal.

Thor couldn't be reached, but they had known that before. Gods know they had tried thousands of times throughout those last few days.  
At some point everyone had started doing whatever it was they were usually doing. Barton and Romanov were called to deal with a mission of some sort, Tony had gone down to tinker away in his workroom and Cap, Cap had stayed with Loki.  
They had given him a notebook and pen, the first few questions had been obvious and were easy to answer. I don't know.  
The following ones were harder. What now? How can we help you?

Part of him wanted to reject their kindness, hated to be pitied. Then again, he felt as vulnerable as ever and it helped, it really did. For all he knew, they could be taking advantage of his sorry state, but they showered him with their mortal sentiment. What would Asgardians have said? Suck it up, it's just pain. He had endured worse in his time of punishment, hadn't he? He had survived.

The pain was constant, though the blood had seized flooding his mouth. He'd give everything to be able to wash the taste of it away right now, but no such luck.  
At this rate, he'd have to starve.

The hardest part was the detachment of him. He could scribble in his notebook, but what good did it do him? He had to try to keep his messages short to keep up, there was no time for pretty words and his usual eloquence, his silvertongue locked in the cage of his own mouth. Maddening.  
The problem of food had been solved quickly, though. The watered down smoothie they handed him tasted nearly as disgusting as it looked, but if any of what they said was true it should at least cover all nutrients he needed.  
It was degrading, that's what it was. Sucking greyish goo through a straw like a degenerate shell of a man, incapable of speech, too. The thoughts inside his head raged on, unable to be spoken, presented, freed, they proceeded to nag at him, bother him. A shadow, a pitied shadow of himself. Those mortals didn't fear him anymore. They did not mock him like an Asgardian might have in this situation, but their pity cut just as deep.

He found himself leaning into Steve's hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Stark reemerged from his workshop as the sun began to set.  
He didn't say a word, didn't even look him in the eye as he headed straight for Loki, his finished work in hand, and knelt down beside him on the couch.  
The apparatus looked nothing like the cursed metal binding they had put on him, it was more delicate, complicated. It looked almost like a crown, rather than a dog's collar. A silvery ring, tendrils like spiderwebs coming from both sides of it.  
Without further explanation it was sat on Loki's head, pushed in place, dots connected and then something wonderful happened. Sound. Garbled information sputtered from tiny speakers embedded in the left part of the crown. Some adjustments later there were words, his words. Disconnected and without meaning to anyone but him, but they were from his own mind nonetheless. In something closely resembling his own voice, too.

"It's picks up your brain waves and transforms them into audio information. I tried to focus it on your speech center, so only the things you are planning to say will be picked up now. Try it."

"Why?"

It did work, and now the question hung in the air like a bad smell, not understood by any of the Avengers as far as Loki could tell.  
Steve just shook his head, sadly and slowly.

"We don't know what happened back there. We were hoping you might have an idea or a guess at least."

"I meant to ask why you were helping me, but I guess that answers itself."

"Because we are human? It's what we do, we see someone suffer, we help them."

He bit back a snarl just in time, the stitches forbade even the slightest of movements.  
Stark had pretended to fiddle with some controls, unwilling to acknowledge either the question nor the elaboration of the same, until now.

"I refuse to say I'm sorry. I still think you're a dangerous psychopath and even though you may be a little less dangerous right now, that doesn't change the fact that you're a mass murderer. Anyway. I'd love to see you starve to death without having to hear you bitch about it, but that would make me no better than you, and that's nothing I would like to have said about me, alright? So that's your 'why'. Besides, I had this thing half-finished for ages and no one to test it on without serious brain-fryage, so there you go. You're welcome."

"Charming."

"Damn, you sound like JARVIS through that thing."

The smallest hint of a smile came with those words, quickly followed by a gruff noise of some sorts.

"Whatever, I'm going back to work."

"Thank you for this, I appreciate it very much."

"Whatever."

And with this he was gone, all but fled to the safety of his workshop.  
Steve sighed as they watched the elevator door slid close.

"He'll come around, sooner or later.", he laughed, "The one thing Tony can't stand to watch is someone's freedom of speech to be taken away, who would've thought?"

Loki would, but he chose not to comment on it.

"I think I'd like to go to bed, if you won't mind. I'm exhausted."

"No, sure. Just tell me if you need anything, alright? And Loki, don't worry. We'll figure this out, it's going to be alright. Believe me. Now sleep tight."

He might have choked on the goodness that was Steve Rogers, but seeing how he was already busy choking on his own blood whenever he tried to smile, he chose not to and went to bed.


End file.
